Lord Krsna dispels all fear of His devotees
Lord Krsna dispels all fear of His devotees
03 05 2016
Bhaktivedanta Manor [53:15]
sa tvam ghorad ugrasenatmajan nas
trahi trastan bhrtya-vitrasa-hasi
rupam cedam paurusam dhyana-dhisnyam
ma pratyaksam mamsa-drsam krsisthah [SB 10.3.28]
Devaki is speaking,
Translation: My Lord because you dispel all the fear of Your devotees, I request You to save us and give us protection from this terrible fear of Kamsa, Your form as Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is appreciated by yogis in meditation. Please, make this form invisible to those who see with material eyes.
So this is the birth of Lord Krishna. What I was meant to talk was the pastimes after He has taken birth and then His, immediately His childhood pastimes, first of all in Gokul and then later on in Vrindavan. So, we will not talk of those pastimes, not that there is no pastime here. Taking birth is a pastime and upon the request of mother, yeah ‘this’ mother, there is no exception, like every other mother thinking of protection of her child. And ‘this’ mother, She thinks even her child could be killed, could be harassed, beaten up, could be wounded. So how many things are possible? She is thinking like this which is like ignorance on her part and she’s put into that kind of transcendental ignorance. We are ignorant, we are really ignorant, pure ignorance, but then devotees like Yashoda, like Nanda Maharaja, like cowherd boys, like other Gopis. Transcendentally Yoga Maya puts them in some kind of ignorance specially not letting them know of the Lord as He is or the transcendental nature of the Lord. One new bhakta could have said, “?Hey!, He is the Lord, and His form is transcendental.”
? nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah [BG 2.23]
The soul cannot be killed, and He is the Supreme soul, what are you talking about Dekavi? He cannot be killed. No weapon could kill, ?
nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah,
Agni, the fire cannot burn. ? na sosayati marutahand no amount of wind or hot air could burn or make it dry like the body dries, or the water cannot make the soul wet. Water would remain water, it cannot even touch the Supreme soul.
So, that is the nature of the Lord, that is the form of the Lord, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha. ?But just see what Devaki is talking about and She is afraid, scared and hence all the prayers here, lot of prayers. Of course, Vasudev was the first one to take turn of offering prayers, which is also
unusual?. When your child is born, of course some of you have your children born, did you offer prayer? To the child? No. Maybe prayers to the Lord,
please protect the child, please protect the mother, let the whole thing, the whole affair, the delivery, may it go through smoothly, the less pain. You don’t pray to the child, anyone here? Child, helpless child, and praying to Him? But, here father and mother, Vasudev and Devaki, they both have ?aikshata, ?they have seen the Lord, they are the first ones to see the Lord and there is the whole description on how Lord looked like.
Sukadev Goswami now, for sure, He is also seeing and describing what Vasudev and Devaki saw there in the prison house of Kamsa. Little baby, baby Krishna and that was of course, before appearing as a baby, the Lord had appeared as Vishnu, the four handed form. “Hey!
How could I hide you, with the four arms?
Please disappear, please drop these two additional hands, for sure he’ll then take You seriously. So, My dear Lord, of course He is saying Lord. So there is some understanding He is, He is the Lord. But still, afraid of this ghorad ugrasenatmajan. ?Ugrasena atmaja, the son of Ugrasena and what he could possibly do, ?trahi please protect, please protect! ?So the Lord has responded through this prayer and He has not completely disappeared from the vision altogether. But from four handed form, He has become the two handed child and Lord is going to do a lot of things now to protect Himself, I mean because the parents are really worried about the very existence. Would He survive? Would Kamsa allow the existence of this child? So, they
are really concerned, really worried. So, after the Lord has become ‘Bala Krishna’, He became Bala Krishna, the baby Krishna and He has a whole plan, He has a whole strategy.
How to get out of there before even Kamsa would get to know, the eighth child has taken birth. And the whole strategy is in place. He is not consulting anyone, the father, mother are not competent. They don’t know what could possibly be done or She is just suggesting okay, okay, okay, at least no four hands, go for two hands then let’s see what happens. She thinks with that two hands, no four hands, then probably He could give some excuse, say something to Kamsa and the child could be protected, but that was not going to work out, that wasn’t sufficient, just from four hands to two hands status. So Lord, He is the Lord, even as a baby He is the Lord. He does not become Lord later on, He is already Lord, He is always the Lord and He know exactly what could possibly be done and He has proposed, daddy, my dear father, please get me out of here and Vasudev probably wondering, “what? Don’t You see the shackles, I can’t even move, I am tied down here and You say you get me, I should get You out of here, how is that possible? But, as the child suggested, He has picked up His baby Krishna with the intention, the Lord is saying okay, get me out of here. So, Vasudev is going along. So as soon as He picked up the child, the shackles were shattered into different pieces and Vasudev was free to do anything
and everything, go anywhere, everywhere. As we accept the Lord in the heart.
(Darshan opens – Hari Hari, Radha Gokulnanda ki Jai!)
And Vasudev begins, Vasudev is carrying Vaasudev. I usually say this just to make sure we are understanding the difference of these two names, the way we pronounce. Vasudev is father, Vaasudev is son.
?Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.
You can’t say ?Om namo bhagawate vasudevaaya. Om namo bhagavate vaasudevaya.
?Bhagavan Vaasudeva and father is Vasudev. So, Vasudev is carrying Vaasudeva and He is now moving, trying to move out and there is a door locked and
giant size. Then, no problem”, because as Vasudev comes, that door is not only closed, but locked, he is just following the order of the child, “Get me out of here!” So okay. So, as soon as he comes and standing before that door with the child, locks are unlocked and drop down, door is opened. Yeah automatic, system automatic, this is not a new thing, it was there. When I first time went to the airport, in 77 and Prabhupada had arranged that trip to go bring His doctor from Allahabad, doctor Ghosh. Anyway, I went to the airport and my bag on the trolley and I was pushing towards the door. The door was all closed and I was, I parked my trolley and was going forward. I thought I should open it before I could enter with my bag and baggage. As I moved forward closer to the door, oh the door opened. And I was, “Hey what happened?
Ghost?”
(laughters). Who opened the door? I was not even aware what is happening. So that was automatic. When you don’t know how that happened, who did it, then we understand, automatic. Actually there is, factually there is nothing like automatic. There is always, there is a cause. And so, here, the cause of all causes, He was getting His doors automatically opened. Door after door after door was being opened of course, all the guards, there was extra security, was in place, those days, Kamsa was more alert. The child is expected any day, could be any day, any moment He could appear. So, he had extra security. But then, what good was all that security? They were all (snoring sound) snoring, sleeping and there was no one to stop. Their guns were on the floor and they were all sleeping. So, Vasudev was with Vaasudeva, out of the prison. And then the first person who greeted Sri Krishna, Bala Krishna, was Balaram. Balaram had come from Gokhul, He had already taken birth and He had come in another form, it is Sankarsana and “Svagatam Krishna” I don’t think He sang the song, but that was the mood and He does, and then sage glorifies the Lord, that even Balaram serves
Sri Krishna.
So Vasudev is carrying, so outside the prison there is also the drizzle, it is the rainy season, month of Shravan. So, immediately, Sankarhan is taking position, walking umbrella, His hoods are serving as an umbrella, just over Vaasudeva, little baby Krishna, He is serving that baby. And because this is night time, yes, night time? What time? 12? Sure some time was spent in praying, both offered prayers and, some more time going
through gate after gate after gate. What time? 1:30? (laughters). Yeah, sometime like around that time. So, it was dark, so the moon is also there. That night, something special also had happened with the moon. It was the night of astami, Krishna astami. So moon is half moon.
astami’s moon is half moon. No moon, full moon, in the middle – half moon, astami. So, the Lord was waiting, when is moon going to rise. ?“Let the moon rise first before I rise, I appear” because He was, Krishna was appearing in the moon dynasty. Chandravansi Krishna, Suryavansi Sri Rama. So, He is letting, wanting the moon to rise, appear first. In fact, it is kind of simultaneous. While the moon was, Chandra was rising at the east, Krishnacandra rose from the womb of Devaki, ocean-like womb of Devaki. So there was some moon shine, but Balarama also was providing some extra light. All His hoods were decorated with jewels and they were providing some glitter, some light for Vasedev to walk through the lanes and by lanes and some hidden paths.
So hidingly He wanted to go through Mathura town, It is said, I heard this that, Radha Govinda Maharaja said this. I don’t know where he found this out from. He said that night was special in another sense. He said that all the dogs were sleeping also. All Mathura dogs were sleeping. The dogs are on, like a night duty. No one employs them, but they are around and barking. So, they were fast asleep because if they were to remain awake,
they would see, “Hey!!” Of course, they would not, they would not know as they are just dogs.
Someone is walking by, they would be barking and that barking could have woken up some, some residents in the area and they would say “Hey! Vasudev, how come, where is He going? And they could give, they are Kamsa’s men, they could communicate with Kamsa and that could be a trouble, Right, you get it, make that connection? This is why even the dogs were fast asleep. In that way, path was clear, and walking and walking, Vasudev comes, carrying Vaasudev, comes on the banks of Yamuna.
Yamuna Maiya ki! Jai!!
Because of rainy season, Yamuna is all flooded. So, He is standing on the bank of Yamuna. “?Oh, how to cross this flood situation, flooded?” ?But then here, Yamuna took note of Her Lord’s presence. “?Oh here is my Lord and He would like to go across. I better do something so that the path is cleared. If not, I could be in trouble”. ?And She remembered, this is the Bhagavatam, everything has origin in Bhagavatam, She remembered when Sri Rama, He wanted to cross Indian ocean and go to Lanka, but there was some delay on the part of Samudra Devata, Ocean God was delaying and then Rama became furious, He took His bow and arrow and oh, the whole ocean was shaken up all the creatures were in troubled. So, if I do not cooperate
with the Lord, I do not rush, do something quick, I could be in a similar situation as Lord was trying to deal with that ocean, disobedient ocean.
So remembering that, Yamuna, and She also thinks of another thing, “Oh, when Lord grows up and it is the time for His marriage and my marriage also, I will be marrying Him, I would be the fourth queen of the eight principle, I will be the fourth one, Kalindi. So, if I don’t behave or assist,
cooperate now, then when the marriage proposal comes, then it would not be considered favorably. So I have to be careful. So thinking thus, Yamuna made the whole path, cleared the water and Vasudev entered and this whole body of water here and in the middle He is walking, carrying. It is also
said that initially water seemed rising a bit because Yamuna was trying to have a little touch of the transcendental form of the Lord. Okay She had it, just a little touch and then she cleared the path and Vasudev now, crossed Yamuna. The destination is Gokul. ?
Krishna jinka nama hain, gokul jinka dhama hain?, Lord is going to make Gokul as His abode, as His residence. So, He is walking. They are some distance away. So, Vasudev is going through different emotions as He is carrying baby Krishna to Gokul. If He was going very slow, He would say ?“Hey!
If I move slow like this, it could take forever to get there and who knows news may reach Kamsa and he would come running, chasing after and then catch up with me. I will run!.”. ?And then He would begin running carrying baby Krishna. But, while running with baby Krishna then He would be thinking “Hey! If I run fast like this I would be in Gokul quickly, very soon, then, I will have to leave this child there and I’ll deprived of His association. I better take a little extra time on the way”. ?Thinking like this He would slow down. But, as He would slow down, He would, “hey but,
this will take too much time. Kamsa may catch up. I better run”. ?And He was running and while running ?“hey, but I would be there, in Gokul, very soon so I better slow down.”
So He was going through these emotions. But then finally, what time he arrived in Gokul? Before Brahma muhurta, before everyone got up. Everyone was still fast asleep and Vasudev entered not only Gokul but entered Nanda bhavan, not only Nanda bhavan, He entered those inner chambers, the quarter where Yashoda had given birth to two children. So, Krishna and Krishnanuja. Bhagavatam says Krishna anuja. Anu means to follow, ja means, like a ja here: atmaja, Ugrasena atmaja. Ugrasena’s atma, ja – gave birth to this Kamsa. From Ugrasena, atmaja, from self, His body, Kamsa is born. Ja means janma (birth). So, Krishna anuja. So, Krishna appears and in Gokul, Yashoda Nandana and baby daughter also has taken birth. So, anyway, these are some confidential matters. Don’t tell anybody (laughters). Gaudiya acaryas have revealed this, these secrets. So Vasudev Krishna or Mathura Krishna
who is Vaasudev, so that Vaasudev becomes part of Vrindavan Krishna, Yashoda Nandana Krishna and two Krishnas become one Krishna, okay? And so they were three now, one coming from Mathura and we have two children in Gokul. So one from Mathura and one Krishna Yashoda gave birth to in Gokul. So, those two Krishnas become one and that third child was the daughter, was His Yoga Maya who was asked by Lord, “You go, gaccha, go to that Braja.” and She was given a whole homework.
Transferring Balarama from Devaki’s womb to Rohini’s womb and so She had done that and now She is also appearing as sister of Krishna, Yashoda’s child and then, so Vasudev takes that baby daughter and back to, back to Mathura and then many more things to follow. But, we could see how the parents were concerned about the protection of the child. So, they have prayed and especially Devaki, trahi – please protect, please save, please save us. Give us protection from this terrible fear of Kamsa. So, first of all, their fear because they are more concerned, more than their own selves, Vasudev and Devaki, their concern is the protection of the child, and Lord, Jai Sri Krishna, Jai Sri Krishna, Haribol.
So Lord, was protected, He got out of there. He was safe there in Gokul. So this is how wonderful Krishna is. There is nothing impossible for Him. Impossible is the word in whose dictionary? Fools. We could still be fools. We have our limitations although that it says in fools’ dictionary, impossible. But, for sure, for the Lord, there is nothing, nothing impossible and He protected Himself and later on He is going to be protecting Vasudev and Devaki and He is going to be and He always protects as Prabhupada is, has quoted in the verse. Arjuna go ahead, Arjuna go ahead, and declare it boldly, na me bhaktah pranasyati, My devotee never perishes. My devotee is always protected, always protected. So, My ‘devotee’ is always protected. But then, we have to be a devotee. Let us see whether we are His devotees. Yeah? I don’t want to be a devotee and still I want to be protected. Then, Maya handles, Lord’s external energy handles us and we go through a lot of harassment, lot of trouble in the form of birth and death, old age and disease and this and that, but those main four things. But, as we become devotees, surrender unto Him, come to Him and then we are in protected zone or we are protected. So, Lord has kindly, even out of His kindness, out of His compassion, we have been chosen and we have been brought to Him. This idea of surrendering unto the Lord and knowing the Lord and serving the Lord and then becoming devotee of the Lord, this begins with,
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
I begins with Krishna again. He makes some of His chosen souls, fortunate and then they are brought to International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose founder acarya is,
Srila Prabhupada ki…Jai!!
guru-krsna-prasade paya
Krishna and the guru, guru and Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada and His army of siksha gurus and diksha gurus, Vartmapradarshak gurus, Caitya guru, He continues to be our guru, caitya guru. So together they, they make us, they have made us fortunate and we have been protected as we have taken shelter of Lord.
Or else, as Vasudev, He was also shackled, bound up, but as He lifted Vaasudev, He was free from all the shackles. Likewise, as we lift, we accept the Lord in our heart, in our lives, immediately, in the, in different forms, including the form of prasadam, in the form of prasadam we accept the Lord, sweet form of the Lord, sweetest form of the Lord, we are free, we are protected when we accept the form of Radha Gokulananda ki!… Jai!! And we serve their Lordships this way and that way man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yai mam namaskuru.
We are devotees of Radha Gokulananda, mad bhakta – become My devotee, mad yaji – worship Me, offer Me Your obeisance’s and remember Me. If you did this, ?
mam evaisyasi satyam te, pratijane priyo si me,
?I’ll bring you back to Me, ?mam eva esyasi, mam eva, ?where I reside, there You will come, ?mam eva, ?Me only, to Me only You will come. So, this is all lined up by Guru, Gauranga, Krishna , Srila Prabhupada, They have made always beautiful, wonderful arrangements and we are being benefited and this arrangement is, has become 50 years old this year. ISKCON’S Golden Jubilee celebration ki… Jai!!
So we are celebrating 50th anniversary of ISKCON and so many, those who come in contact with ISKCON, be part of ISKCON, served ISKCON, meaning serve Krishna, Guru, Gauranga and the protection, perfection is guaranteed.
Haribol! Gaura
Premanande, Hari Hari bol